1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and method, which allows a requester to contact a communication apparatus user, and in particular, to a system and method which provides directory and other information assistance services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Within the last decade the need for directory assistance services has dramatically increased. More and more people are carrying cellular phones, personal digital assistants, pagers, wireless messaging devices and so forth. It is almost impossible to keep a record of all the different contact information of a person that needs to be contacted. People often change their wireless carriers or lose their portable devices and replace them with new contact information. As such the directory assistance services are expanding their capacity to obtain, store and update all the necessary contact information to provide access to a calling party.
On the flip side, people who travel with their wireless devices often do not have access to traditional directory listings, such as yellow and white pages. Therefore, when they need to contact a person or a business, they also resort to directory assistance services.
With such proliferation of need for directory assistance services, the work load on customer service representatives or operators that search and retrieve the requested information is ever increasing. With increased load, the waiting time to service a caller's request increases. Sometimes, when a caller calls for information the phone rings many times before the next available operator begins to service the call.
Furthermore, because people are using directory assistance services while traveling from one place to another, often time they need information based on their geographic location, such, as for example, directions to a destination, or closest business establishment for their various needs.
Thus, there is a need to devise systems and methods that enhance the efficiency of directory assistance services to meet the growing demand for such services.